Our Research

The English Literature MA offers an intellectually challenging, innovative programme of study. It is directly informed by the outstanding research of staff in the School of English. The course emphasis is on key critical developments in literary studies, such as:

the relation of shifting aesthetic forms to political radicalism

the biographies of books

how authors and texts articulate their relationship to shifting geographies of cultural power

textual editing from manuscript to print to digital platforms

the sexual politics of public and private life in literature

the mind, the body and affect as sites of and for representation

the aesthetics and politics of American and world literatures

The MA moves away from period-based literary studies. Instead, it considers texts in the context of established and emerging scholarship and theory.

The School has an international reputation for high-quality research. It also has a friendly research environment. This makes it the ideal place for postgraduate engagement with major issues in English literary studies from 1500 to the present.

Research and supervision

At Newcastle University we have a range of research interests within English Literature. We produce outstanding research on subjects as chronologically distinct as Chaucer and cyberpunk.

Our work has a geographical range across:

the British Isles

the Americas

India

Anglophone Africa

We research and offer supervision in all major genres, including:

fiction

poetry

drama

film

We also have world-leading expertise in many emerging forms, including:

life writing

children's literature

digital media

Our aim is to combine excellence in established areas of research across a full range of periods and genres, with innovation in critical and textual scholarship. We are particularly keen to:

investigate the contexts of literary production

use and develop archival sources

integrate the critical with the creative work that goes on in the School

We contribute to many research groups in the University, including the:

You will choosefour 20 credit modules from a range of options (80 credits). Our optional modules are thematically structured and cover literature from the 16th to the 21st centuries.

You will also take two 20 credit compulsory modules. These modules cover major critical issues in the subject of English Literature. They also include training in disciplinary and interdisciplinary research methodologies. This training is essential preparation for your individual research in the MA dissertation.

Related Degrees

The English Language and/or Linguistics MLitt is a Master's level degree that is largely based around your own research interests, preparing you for further research within and beyond academia. You will be fully supported by experts situated in one of the largest centres for linguistics research in Europe.

Funding opportunities

Entry Requirements

A 2:1 honours degree, or equivalent, in English literature or English Literature with:

classics

history

philosophy

a modern language

English language

politics

We will also consider your application if you have an undergraduate degree from another discipline, or have a lower or non-standard qualification. In this case you will need to provide a sample of your work.